What the hell?
Colinâs eyes widened, clearly not expecting such a response.
Noticing Colinâs reaction, Grace seemed to realize something and quickly asked, âDidnât the Queen tell you this secret?â
Colin rolled his eyes inwardly, then he soon realized â can the Queenâs words even be trusted?
The so-called âsecretâ she gave to Grace was probably just like the âsecretâ Colin received, complete and utter lies.
âDo you believe that the secret the Queen spoke about is true?â Colin didnât answer Grace, but instead questioned her.
âThe Queen shouldnât lie about such matters, right?â Grace carefully responded, âBesides, during my year in the Phoenix Palace, I did notice that Emperor Reinhardt didnât seem to be particularly fond of Prince Harrison and Princess Judy.
Also, I believe His Majesty probably realized it, hence, producing numerous illegitimate children.â
Colin stroked his chin, finding that there was some logic to Graceâs words.
When Emperor Reinhardt initially sent Harrison and Judy to the North Territory, Colin found it strange. Even if it was for the reason of mentorship, there was no need to send away his only two children.
If Colin were to fall out with the royal family, wouldnât Harrison and Judy become hostages?
Moreover, Emperor Reinhardtâs known fondness for making his subordinates wear cuckolds indeed seemed much like a form of revenge towards the Queenâ¦
But soon, Colin chuckled quietly to himself, realizing that he almost fell for the Queenâs trick again.
When he initially believed without doubt the Queenâs claim to be Veraâs birth mother, wasnât it because many seemingly credible clues confirmed it?
But not a single one was solid evidence.
Later, didnât Marquis Garcia also personally deny the Queenâs claim? Hence, Colin was convinced, the âQueenâs secretâ that Grace held must also be a lie.
How could a crafty politician like Queen Midela hand over her weak spot?
Especially to a young girl like Grace.
The Brugen family is indeed important, but not to that extent.
Even considering Graceâs somewhat mysterious origins, it wouldnât be enough to make Queen Midela pay such a price to win her over.
Emperor Reinhardtâs attitude towards Harrison and Judy is indeed strange, and his well-known quirks do seem to suggest something, but certainly not that the Queen has made him a cuckold.
Otherwise, how could Emperor Reinhardt, who holds the supreme authority of the Glorious Empire, tolerate Queen Midela until now?
This is a matter of bloodline, the most important of matters. Even if Queen Midela hailed from the St. Hilde family, she canât possibly be spared by the royal family on this issue.
âWhat are you thinking about?â Seeing Colin remain silent, Grace couldnât help but ask.
âNothing.â Of course, Colin wouldnât tell Grace about the âhandleâ that Queen Midela gave him.
Although that too was a lie, Veraâs origins indeed had questionable points, and Colin didnât intend to share this private matter of the St. Hilde family with Grace, who was an outsider.
Grace knew that Colin was withholding something from her, but she didnât dare to ask more.
Under the current circumstances, she was clearly the weaker party, and moreover, in a position of asking for help.
Ever since learning that she was not the biological daughter of Count Brugen, Grace had been filled with a strong sense of crisis.
When she first learned that she was about to marry Count Evan, Grace was extremely conflicted.
On one hand, she wanted to marry into the St. Prowse family, to obtain more power. That way, even if her lineage was revealed, she would still have room for maneuver.
On the other hand, she was worried that such actions would be seen as betrayal by Queen Midela. After all, she was very aware of the conflicts between the royal family and the Eastern Territory and knew that she was actually a chess piece that Queen Midela had placed in the Eastern Territory.
Such a difficult situation made Grace behave so strangely when she saw Colin charging into the city.
Others all believed that Colin was the man who killed her father, but in Graceâs eyes, Colin was her savior, and an opportunity.
âCount, now that weâve exchanged each otherâs secrets, can you trust me now?â Grace asked timidly, biting her red lip.
Colin certainly understood Graceâs implication, and so he reached out, pinched the girlâs smooth chin, and laughed:
âI think, if I could get to know you more intimately, this trust would be firmer.â
Graceâs delicate face turned bright red, but she still bravely leaned in.
The sweet fragrance of the girl enveloped him, and Colin could even feel his partnerâs rising body temperature and her heart pounding.
So, he didnât hesitate any longer, bowed his head, and tightly embraced Grace.
This time, there were no attendant to disturb them.
â¦
The next morning.
When Colin opened his eyes, he saw Graceâs pretty face.
The girl in his arms was still asleep, her soft, smooth touch made him unwilling to move his hand.
Perhaps Colinâs slight movement woke Grace. The girl let out a small cry and woke up dazedly.
Feeling Colinâs mischievous hands, Grace who hadnât yet recovered from last nightâs passion, quickly put on a pleading expression.
Colin wasnât the type to not know how to cherish a woman, so he laughed and said, âAlright, I wonât tease you anymore, get up.â
Grace smiled, came over and gave Colin a sweet good morning kiss, and then quickly got up to pick up her clothes from the floor.
While getting dressed, Grace asked, âColin, whatâs your plan now?â
âIâm going to continue south and march to White Dew City.â Colin also got up from the bed, and said while getting dressed, âWeâll leave after breakfast.â
âAre you in a hurry?â Grace seemed somewhat reluctant, âAre you really going to attack White Dew City? I still think thatâs probably not a good idea.â
Colin gave a slight smile, confidently said, âIf I had told you a day ago that I was going to use the three thousand Blood Knight Army to break the formation of the fifty thousand Huorong Army, would you think itâs a good idea?â
Grace was speechless.
To an individual like Colin who excelled in creating miracles on the battlefield, she felt that all attempts to persuade him seemed rather feeble.
But Grace still tried to say: âI just think that first securing Huorong City, and managing the northern half of the East Territory beyond Mount Althus would be more reliableâ¦â
âI know youâre impatient, but you need to be patient, and have faith in me.â Colin looked into Graceâs eyes and said seriously.
After spending time with her, Colin had noticed that despite her naivety, Grace had a great ambition.
Of course, Colin didnât mind if his lover had ambitions.
As long as she obeyed him.
Seeing the determination in Colinâs eyes, Grace could only nod and say, âAlright, what would you like me to do?â
âYou donât need to do anything for now.â Colin stepped forward and put his arms on the girlâs shoulders. âBe patient, and stop only thinking about the land north of Mount Althus. In my eyes, the entire East Territory will eventually be mine.â
Feeling Colinâs strong confidence, Grace got excited again and once again initiated a passionate kiss.
The freshly worn clothes, once again fell to the floor.